Apple iMessage Is a Lock-In Abomination

Apple iMessage Is a Lock-In Abomination

Apple's iMessage is the only non-cross-platform messaging service. It makes business sense for Apple, but it's a disservice to mobile users everywhere. It might even push me to switch to Android.

I’m a victim of Apple’s proprietary lock-in strategy. Yes, Apple makes fabulous phones with top specs and features, and most of my contacts use iPhones. This means I get all the benefits of iMessage—Memoji, great new group chat features, and the ease of switching a chat to a FaceTime video call or voice call. But if I want to dip my toes into the broader world of Android, all of those features become drawbacks.

There’s been some buzz recently about iMessage coming to Android. It’s a pipe dream that Apple execs are quick to shoot down. Of course, it’s in Apple’s interest to make it as hard as possible for iPhone users to even consider moving to Android. Recent court documents in the Epic Games court battle over App Store noncompetitive practices cite emails from Apple executives that make this crystal clear.

iMessage has long been the only messaging service that isn’t cross-platform: Skype, WhatsApp, as well as secure messaging services like Signal and Telegram, all work on Android, iPhone, Windows, or Mac. It would be great if you could never use iMessage and make a competing app the default messaging app on the iPhone, but that's impractical in the US since iMessage is tied to SMS messaging.

No Web Client for You!

It would have been the easiest thing in the world for Apple to include iMessage in its iCloud web portal. That service includes Photos, Find My Phone, email, drive folders, and collaborative online office apps. Messaging is a walk in the park compared to those services, and Google had no trouble making its own Messages app available in any web browser on any device. In addition to having both iOS and Android clients, Skype and Facebook Messenger also have excellent web interfaces, so it’s not like Apple would even be a pioneer if it offered iMessage on the web.

Barriers to Moving to Android

Samsung Galaxy S21 in 3 different colorsGalaxy S21 (Image: Samsung)

Personally, recent iPhone troubles—system stability in iOS and a hardware failure that prevents me from using Face ID—has me yearning to move to an Android phone, such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 or a Google Pixel 5 (though I hesitate to use a device from that data-slurping giant).

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Sure, I could use Samsung’s Smart Switch or another third-party utility to move my messages (as well as apps and other data) from the iPhone to a new Android, but that would still mean I couldn’t smack one of those thumbs-up or heart icons on a group chat message from a family member. And don’t even get me started on the inferiority complex that I’d get from having green chat bubbles rather than the iPhone blue ones on my messages. On the other hand, only the other people in conversations will see those, so I guess I can live with that.

Apple has shown that it’s perfectly capable of making its proprietary apps and services cross-platform, but only when it serves the Cupertino-based company’s own financial ends. Look no further than Apple Music on Android, iTunes on Windows, and Apple TV+ on Fire TV.

So my plea to Apple (which is sure to fall on deaf ears): Make iMessages available on Android, Windows, and the web. If you don’t, you’re certain to lose at least one iPhone customer.